Tegel



Jan. .29, 1924. 1,482,322

E. RUMPLER ET AL ABSIORPTION REFRIGERATOR Filed Jan. 6, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 29, 1924. 1,482,322

E. RUMF'LER ET AL ABSORPTION REFRIGERATOR Filed Jan. 6. 1922 '3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 1%?- l I c@vwlm @vw @WLW "W W l UH 11H .5 RUMPLER ET AL ABSORPTION REFRIGERATOR 'Filed Jan. 6. 1922 5 Sheds-Sheet 5 Fig.9.

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s gn 1 IIFIIIIIIIII //7 V Wifars Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,482,322 PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND RUMPLER, OF BERLIN-JOHANNISTHAL, AND ALBERT RENNAU, F BERLIN- TEGEL, GERMANY; SAID RENNAU ASSIGNOR TO SAID RUMPLER,

ABSORPTION REFRIGERATOR.

Application filed January 6,-1922. Serial No. 527,465.

To all whom it-mag camera:

of Berlin-Johannisthal, Germany, and QALBERT RENNAU, of Berlin-Togel, Germany, 6 both citizens of the German Republic, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Absorption Refrigerators, of Which the following is a specification.

Absorption-refrigerators, which have so far been constructed, must either be equipped with a number of valves, or other flowcontrol mechanism, which regulate the two processes of expulsion and resorption or the apparatus as a whole or parts thereof must be swung or rotated. p

1 All these arrangements have the disadvantage of requiring skilled attendance and in addition tothis, the valves, stuliing boxes or the like, which are exposed to the ammonia, will become leaky in short time, thus causing frequent" interruptions of service.

By our invention, now, we provide an apparatus or plant, in which there will be no movable parts whatever (stufling boxes and the like) which are exposed to the action of the ammonia.

The arrangement is such that all the aforementioned disadvantages are entirely 30 done'away with and'in addition the attendance of the apparatus by reason of the absence of valves, etc., will become extremely simple and any unskilled person will be able to properly operate the apparatus.

Our invention relates to refrigerators according to the absorption principle, which operate by means of ammonia, chloride of zinc, sulphuric acid or the like.

In the accompanying drawing we have more or less diagrammatically represented a few examples of the mode of carrying our invention into effect, Figs. 16 showing different embodiments thereof; Fig. 7

a subdivided refrigerating unit embodying the principles of the invention; and Figs. 8 and 9 modifications of the forms shown in Figs. 3 and 6. i

The device for expelling the gas, or the boiler, as it'is commonly referred to in the art, comprises two vessels at and b interconnected by a tube 0. The essential and distinguishing feature of; the invention is the structural correlation of these two vessels a and b and thet-ube c. lVhile there is considerable latitude as to the form and Be it known that we, EDMUND RUMPLER,

the relative position of the three parts mentioned, the tube 0 must terminate, at one end, in the vessel 6, at or near the bot-tom thereof, and, at its other end, in the vessel a more or less centrally between the top and bottom thereof, or, at any rate a substantial distance from the bottom. Both containers are provided with means d and e for heating the same. It will, however, also be possible to heat one boiler directly and the other indirectly from the former. At the upper end of the boiler 35 the gas-conduit is branched off and leads to the condenser and i the evaporator.

In Figs. 1 and 2", the vessel 6 is disposed above avessel a and the tube 0 extends from the bottom of the former into the lat ter and terminates approximately midway between the top and the bottom thereof. The heating device may advantageously comprise heating resistances d and 6 respectively connected to a suitable source of'supply. A coil 10 in the vessel a represents diagrammatically well known means for passing a cooling medium through the vessel a in thermal contact with the liquid therein. At the top of the vessel 1) a conduit gpasses the gas to be usual condenser and evaporator (not shown). Fig. 3 shows the arrangement of the boilers in juxtaposition in such a way that the boiler or container is divided into two parts by a separating wall. The connection a, has the form of a U oneleg of which extends along the bottom of the vessel (1, while the other leg extends horizontally between the top and bottom thereof and has discharge openings indicated by arrows. Figs. 4 and 5 show two separate boiler units in juxtaposition.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 5 differs from that shown in Fig. 4, aside from'its external form, in that the connecting tube 0 enters into the wall of the boiler a, while in Fig. 4 the tube 0 is carried further into the space of the liquid in the boiler a and at its lower side is provided with openings for discharging the gas.

In Fig. 6 the two boilers are formed by a horizontal separating wall a,, provided in a common container, Fig. 7 represents a' subdivided plant for uninterrupted operation.

Figs 8 and 9 show an arrangement, in

which one vessel surrounds the other. lVhile in Fig. 8 the vessel 41 is on the outside, the relation may, of course, be reversed, as shown in Fig. 9.

The process taking place in the apparatus according to our invention is as follows:

The boiler a is filled for its greater part with a liquid saturated with ammonia or the like. When the heating means 6 -is operated, the liquid in the boiler will be heated, whereby ammonia-gas is liberated in a novel manner. This gas collects in the upper part it of the boiler a; and gradually forces the liquid through the pipe 0 into the vessel Z). As soon as the level of the liquid reaches the end of the tube 0, the gas can pass into the tube 0 and lifting the liquid therein passes into the vessel 6. The latter is also heated and the liquid in the same, which is pressed upward from the lower container, will likewise be in boiling condition. The gas which is now formed in the boiler 19, will pass together with the gas coming from the boiler a, through the tube 9 into the condenser and the evaporator.

These two appliances are sufficiently known and are therefore only diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 7 of the drawing. The means cl for heating the boiler 12 is set in operation either simultaneously with the heating means 6 for the boiler a, as indicated in Figs; 2 to 6, or the two heating means d and 6 may be separately controlled, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that the heating device cl may be applied some time later, after the liquid has collected in the boiler b. The heatin devices 0 and d may be of the same or 0 different heating capacity. There is, of course, considerable room for adjustment in this respect to best suit'the particular conditions.

After completed expulsion of the gas the cooling water is switched over in the wellknown manner from the condenser upon the boiling device, as wil l be readily under stood. If necessary, cooling selpentines may be provided either only for the boiler (a or also for both boilers (b and Z). By this the contents of the boilers may be made to cool ofi and by reason of the undernessure brought about in the vapor space it of the boiler a the liquid will flow from the boiler 6 through the tube 0 back into'the boiler a so that the lower opening of the tube 0 will again be surrounded by liquid and immersed in the same. The ammonia gases flowing back from the evaporator will enter through the pipe 0 below the level of the liquid into the boiler a and will be readily resorbed by the liquid.

In the boiler b there may be provided suitable baffle plates of ordinary construction in order to separate the water, which is carried with the flow of ammonia.

While we have shown electrical-resistance elements for carrying out the heating operation, other modes of applying heat may of course be resorted to within the scope of the invention.

The arrangement ofthe two boilers with respect to each other may be chosen as desired. They may be arranged beside or above each other. In every case, however, the connecting tube a must lead from the liquid space of the boiler a to the bottom of the boiler 17 according to our invention. Both boilers may also be made integral with each other and the two necessary spaces provided by a horizontal or vertical separating wall, as indicated in Figs. 3, 6, 8 and 9.

Due to the absence of any movable parts coming into contact with the ammonia gas or its solution, the wear and tear of any parts of the plant and consequent leakages are entirely avoided and the plant will operate without any smell.

According to the invention the refrigerating apparatus may be subdivided, so that the boiler, condenser and evaporator will be.

divided into two or more parts, which in their entirety, however, will not surpass the volume of an individual refrigerating apparatus.

Thus, as shown in Fig. 7, three sets of ap paratus may be used comprising each a boiler of the type shown in Figs. 16, a condenser C and an evaporator E.

The different sets may be operatively correlated by suitable means Well known in the art, so that their cycles of operation alternate with each other or are generally out of phase with each other in the sense that the boiling period of the one apparatus will coincide with the cooling period of the other apparatus, so that the cooling process in the entire evaporating apparatus will never be interrupted. The great advantage which is derived from such a subdivided plant is evi-' dent and consists principally in the uniformity of the temperature of the rooms to be cooled and also in a greater economy and more universal applicability.

The subdivision of the plant, however, has a still further advantage. In a single unit plant, the rate of consumption of current or material for heating is relatively high and the time of application comparatively short,

which requires considerable cross-sections of' the conductors or pipes, so that in many cases the available electric circuits or conduit-s will not suflice for the necessary current strength or the required quantity of fuel, which in turn will necessitate an additional equipment of wires or conduits.

In a subdivided plant, on the other hand, the consumption of current or fuel, which in its entirety is not larger than in an individual plant, will be distributed over a greater length of time, thus materially decreasing in proportion to the'rate of consumption. This makes it possible to use the ordinary outlets of house circuits or other ordinarily available sources of heat.

The pipes for the water intake and discharge can also be made of much smaller cross-section and may be better adapted to the existing conditions than will be possible in case of an individual plant requiring large cross-sections of the water pipes.

Our present refrigerator may also be advantageously employed for portable plants such as cooling boxes or the like.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. In a refrigerator, a boiler comprising two Vessels, a conduit interconnecting the same, one end of the conduit terminating at the bottom of one of the vessels andthe other end terminating intermediate the top and the bottom of the other vessel, an outlet near the top of the first mentioned vessel and means for heating the contents of the vessels, the vessels being closed except for the said conduits ,and the said outlet.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1 in cluding means for cooling last mentioned vessel.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1 in which the means for heating the contents of the vessels comprise a separate source of heat for each vessel.

4. Arrangement according to claim 2 in heat for each vessel.

5. Arrangement according to claim 1 in which the two vessels form a single structural unit including a common separating wall.

6. In a refrigerator, a boiler comprising two vessels, an outlet near the top of one of the vessels, a communicating connection leading from points within the latter near the bottom thereof to points within the other vessel a substantial distance from the bottom thereof and separate means for alternately heating and cooling the contents of the latter vessel, the vessels being closed except for the said conduits and the said outlet.

7. Arrangement according to claim 6 including means operative at will to heat the contents of either one or of both vessels.

8. Arrangement according to claim 6 in which said means include mechanism automatically operative to make either of the means ineffective when the other is made effective.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DR. ING. EDMUND RUMPLER. ALBERT RENNAU. Witnesses:

HANS GREY, W. E. DRISCOLL. 

